Photo of Professor Patricia Murray

Professor Patricia Murray RGN, BSc, PhD

Professor Women's & Children's Health

    Research

    Research Overview

    Our research addresses the safety, efficacy and mechanisms of action of cell-based regenerative medicine therapies for the treatment of renal and neurological diseases. We develop non-invasive imaging strategies to assess the behaviour of administered cells and their effects on organ function in vivo, and use advanced microscopy and histological techniques to assess cell fate and the host tissue response. We also investigate the role of biomaterials in the regulation of stem cell behaviour.

    I am interested in scientific integrity and oppose the inappropriate use of cell therapies in patients. My concerns regarding some high profile cases have been reported in Science, the BMJ, BBC, the Telegraph, Private Eye and the For Better Science blog.

    Stem cells and regenerative medicine

    Our research addresses the safety, efficacy and mechanisms of action of cell-based regenerative medicine therapies for the treatment of renal and neurological diseases. We develop non-invasive imaging strategies to assess the behaviour of administered cells and their effects on organ function in vivo, and use advanced microscopy and histological techniques to assess cell fate and the host tissue response. We also investigate the role of biomaterials in the regulation of stem cell behaviour.


    Research integrity


    I am interested in scientific integrity and oppose the inappropriate use of cell therapies in patients. My concerns regarding some high profile cases have been reported in Science, the BMJ, BBC, the Telegraph, Private Eye and the For Better Science blog.

    Research Grants

    Bioengineered substrates for human pluripotent stem cell culture

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    November 2016 - October 2018

    Modelling cell therapies for Hirschsprung’s patients

    BOWEL AND CANCER RESEARCH (UK)

    September 2018 - March 2021

    Investigating the potential of cell-based regenerative medicine therapies to ameliorate acute kidney injury and prevent progression to chronic disease

    KIDNEY RESEARCH UK (UK)

    April 2018 - July 2019

    Exploring how cell therapies ameliorate renal damage

    MERSEY KIDNEY FIRST (UK)

    October 2018 - September 2021

    Novel MRI based measurements of tissue electromagnetic properties and pH for regenerative medicine therapies

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    May 2017 - May 2019

    A multimodal imaging platform with real-time super-resolution for research across the life sciences

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

    May 2018 - April 2019

    Multimodal preclinical imaging probes to evaluate the safety and efficacy of regenerative medicine therapies

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION

    August 2016 - July 2018

    Wellcome Trust Four-year PhD Studentship 2016

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    October 2016 - April 2021

    Multi-modal high resolution preclinical PET+SPECT+CT scanner

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    July 2018 - June 2024

    Expediting the clinical translation of a stem cell therapy for Parkinson’s disease. Vacation scholarship for Miss Kerry Braithwaite

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    July 2017 - August 2017

    Developing novel tools and technologies to assess the safety and efficacy of cell-based regenerative medicine therapies, focusing on kidney disease RenalToolBox

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION

    November 2018 - April 2023

    Investigating the efficacy, safety and mechanisms of action of regenerative medicine therapies in Ischaemia Reperfusion Injury of the Mouse Kidney: KRUK Training Fellowship for Rachel Harwood

    KIDNEY RESEARCH UK (UK)

    August 2018 - January 2022

    Investigating how cell based regenerative medicine therapies modulate T-cells and macrophages to ameliorate acute kidney injury

    KIDNEY RESEARCH UK (UK)

    November 2018 - September 2021

    Mechanisms of cavitation during tissue development.

    ROYAL SOCIETY

    October 2002 - September 2006

    Investigating the ability of embroyonic stem cell derivatives to improve renal function in a murine model of kidney disease - KidRegen - Marie Curie

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION

    September 2010 - August 2012

    In vivo imaging technologies to assess the efficacy and safety of RMTs

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    October 2013 - March 2015

    Value in People Award 2005.

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    October 2005 - September 2009

    How does DNA fingerprinting work

    EUROPEAN MOLECULAR BIOLOGY ORGANISATION (GERMANY)

    May 2005 - September 2005

    Investigating the ability of embroyonic stem cell derivatives to improve renal function in a murine model of kidney disease

    ALDER HEY CHILDREN'S KIDNEY FUND (UK)

    May 2010 - April 2012

    Is the differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells irreversible?

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    June 2003 - August 2003

    Stem cell therapy for reflux nephropathy.

    ALDER HEY CHILDREN'S KIDNEY FUND (UK)

    September 2005 - September 2009

    Generation of a sub-clone of the human embryonic stem cell line HES-3 expressing an Oct-4- destabalised GFP reporter

    WELLCOME TRUST (UK)

    June 2006 - August 2006

    Mechanisms of cavitation.

    ROYAL SOCIETY (CHARITABLE)

    August 2003 - February 2004

    StemTrack: Engineering multifunctional superparamagnetic nanoparticles for long-term stem cell tracking (Dr Arthur Taylor ERG)

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION

    March 2011 - February 2014

    Developing a stem cell based therapy to replace nephrons lost through reflux nephropathy - RENALSTEM

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION

    August 2008 - January 2011

    To investigate the diagnostic and prognostic utility of MIPs in endometrial cancer

    THE HIGHER COMMITTEE FOR EDUCATION DEVELOPMENT IN IRAQ (HCED) (IRAQ)

    September 2012 - September 2016

    The efficacy and safety of stem cell therapies in mouse models of kidney disease

    DEPARTMENT FOR BUSINESS, INNOVATION AND SKILLS (UK)

    January 2015 - January 2016

    Developing a stem cell based therapy to replace nephrons lost through reflux nephropathy. EU - PROPOSAL NUMBER 036097-2 KIDSTEM

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION

    September 2006 - August 2010

    Regenerative Medicine Platform in Stem Cell Safety Science

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    June 2013 - March 2018

    Design of synthetic substrates for the differentiation of kidney stem cells.

    ROYAL SOCIETY (CHARITABLE)

    April 2007 - March 2010

    Dealkylation of plant sterols during utilization in invertebrates

    LEVERHULME TRUST (UK)

    May 2007 - May 2009

    CASE studentship: Controlling stem cells with heparan sulfate analogues and polymer scaffolds

    SPHERITECH LTD (UK)

    September 2009 - September 2012

    The design and analysis of synthetic substrates for embryonic stem cell culture.

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

    July 2006 - December 2009

    Phenotypic transitions in environmental stress tolerance: opening the black box.

    NATURAL ENVIRONMENT RESEARCH COUNCIL

    May 2005 - April 2010

    BBSRC Research Experience Placement for Lauren Scarfe

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL, BRITISH PHARMACOLOGICAL SOCIETY (UK)

    July 2012 - September 2012

    Investigating the potential of mouse kidney-derived stem cells to integrate and improve renal function in a murine model of chronic kidney disease

    ALDER HEY CHILDREN'S KIDNEY FUND (UK)

    October 2010 - September 2012

    Ultrastable targeted multifunctional hybrid nanomaterials for long-term stem cell tracking

    ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL

    September 2010 - October 2014

    Molecular function in post-genome biology (MOLFUN).

    EUROPEAN COMMISSION

    October 2006 - September 2010

    Enhancing the propagation of ES cells by regulation of visceral endoderm differentiation.

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    September 2004 - September 2007

    University of Liverpool Institutional Discipline Bridging.

    MEDICAL RESEARCH COUNCIL

    October 2003 - October 2006

    Liverpool 3View: a national hub for 3D-EM bioscience research

    BIOTECHNOLOGY & BIOLOGICAL SCIENCE RESEARCH COUNCIL

    January 2014 - December 2014

    Research Collaborations

    Rafael Levy

    Internal

    Novel SPIONs for stem cell tracking

    Kevin Park

    Internal

    Establishing kidney-derived stem cell lines for toxicology screens

    Matt Rosseinsky

    Internal

    Novel SPIONs for stem cell tracking

    Rachel Williams

    Internal

    Synthetic substrates for stem cell propagation and isolation.

    Bettina Wilm

    Internal

    Development of stem cell therapies for the treatment of kidney disease.

    Haifei Zhang

    Internal

    Synthetic substrates for stem cell propagation and isolation; Development of stem cell therapies for the treatment of kidney disease.

    Simon Kenny

    Internal

    Development of stem cell therapies for kidney didease.

    David Edgar

    Internal

    Collaborator on the following projects:- (i) Mechanisms regulating endoderm differentiation in the mouse embryo; (ii) Role of cell shape in regulating stem cell self-renewal; (iii)development of synthetic substrates for human embryonic stem cell propagation and isolation; (iv) Developing stem cell therapies for kidney regeneration; (v) Role of chaperones in the regulation of STAT3 in mouse embryonic stem cells.